Team Emirates’ Dombrowski wins Giro fourth stage, De Marchi takes pink jersey

Joseph Dombrowski held off the rest of the breakaway pack to taste his first victory for UAE Team Emirates with an impressive win on stage four of the Giro d’Italia on Tuesday.

Israel Start-Up Nation rider Alessandro De Marchi took the overall leader’s pink jersey after finishing just behind him in second.

The 29-year old crossed the line 13 seconds ahead of Italian De Marchi to claim the maiden Grand Tour win of his career on a soaking wet run between Piacenza and Sestola.

He dropped De Marchi, who was also a member of a breakaway group of 25 riders formed after 40 kilometres, on the hardest slopes of the last climb 5km from the finish.

“I was feeling good in the last 50K and was just trying not to do too much work and be conservative, because I knew the last climb was really a tough one,” Dombrowski said. “I was able to get a gap, and it wasn’t enough for the pink jersey but I think the stage win is a nice way to finish the day.

“When you have a group of 25 riders, it’s never everyone cooperating, so you need to be ready for attacks. I knew De Marchi was maybe the strongest rider in the breakaway, so if I always took his wheel, I would be in a good spot.”

Filippo Fiorelli was third, 27 seconds behind Dombrowski at the end of a wet and windy 187-kilometer (116-mile) ride through the Apennines from Piacenza to Sestola.

De Marchi, 34, wears the pink jersey for the first time in his career on his fifth Giro appearance, and sits 22 seconds ahead of Dombrowski in the overall standings, taking the overall lead from compatriot Filippo Ganna.

“The goal was the pink jersey, I started thinking about it maybe two days ago even if I didn’t tell anyone!” said De Marchi.

“I’m lost for words really, it’s the dream for any cyclist, especially if you are Italian.”

A small group of riders tipped to perform well in this year’s Giro, including 2019 Tour de France winner Egan Bernal, finished the stage more than a minute and a half behind Dombrowski.

Former Vuelta a Espana champion Simon Yates, Frenchman Romain Bardet and rising star Remco Evenepoel finished one minute, 48 seconds behind Dombrowski.

Belgian Evenepoel sits eighth in the general classification, 1.48 behind De Marchi. Yates is a further second back in 16th and Bardet 19th, 2.03 behind.

Joao Almeida was one of the favorites to win the Giro after leading the race for 15 days last year but his chances are all but over after losing more than four minutes on Tuesday.

Earlier, Fernando Gaviria of Team emirates showed signs of a return to form, surviving the late climbs to hang on in the group of favourites to dispute the sprint finish on Stage 3.

 Stage honours went to Dutchman Taco Van Der Hoorn (Intermarche-Wanty) who stayed clear from the early breakaway on a day which saw many of the big-name sprinters dropped on the hilly run-in, which saw Gaviria arrive in 7th position.

UAE Team Emirates pressed Van der Hoorn hard in the closing stages, with several of the Emirati squad leading to chase in the final metres before running out of road as the line neared. Diego Ulissi remains the highest placed rider in the GC at 10th overall. On Wednesday, the 5th stage traces an almost straight line from Modena to Cattolica over a 177-kilometer course without the slightest roughness, ideal for sprinters.

The Giro finishes on May 30 in Milan with an individual time trial.

Agencies


Results and standings from Tuesday’s fourth stage

Stage:

1. Joe Dombrowski (UAE) 4hrs 58mins 38sec, 2. Alessandro De Marchi (ISR) at 13sec. 3. Filippo Fiorelli (BAR) 27, 4. Louis Vervaeke (ALP) 29, 5. Jan Tratnik (BAH) same time, 6. Attila Valter (FDJ) 44, 7. Nicolas Edet (COF) 49, 8. Nelson Oliveira (MOV) 57. 9. Rein Taaramae (INT) 1:33, 10. Chris Juul Jensen (BIK) 1:36